“Mama, I can communicate without words!” Mr. Mischievous stated proudly. “Yes, you sure can,” I confirmed. “Tell me all the ways you can communicate without words.” “I can draw,” he always starts with this one. “What else?” “I can sing… I can dance…” He hesitated. “You can play ball,” Mr. Justice reminded him. “Yes, I …
Drawn Together: “I Can Communicate Without Words!” Read More »
Before writing this post, I happened to be going through photos of a year ago. Mr. Smiles was only a little fluttering in my belly at that point, but there were Mr. Mischievous and Mr. Justice–in all their two-year-old sweetness. Big grins and silly antics! It made me smile and tugged at my mama’s heart. …
Parent of the Tantruming Child: 9 Things I Wish I’d Known Read More »
I didn’t mean to talk to my three-year-old about privilege and responsibility. There is a man who is blind that has off-and-on attended our church since before our kids were born. They’ve always liked him and know who he is. But this past week, our #1 Little Man suddenly realized this man is blind. We’d …
The Day I Talked About Privilege and Responsibility With My 3-Year-Old Read More »
If you want your kids to be kind to others, you have to start with kindness at home. How do we do that? I’ve been thinking about this a lot. Why we need to prioritize kindness instruction Every morning at breakfast, I ask my three-year-old boys how they want their toast. They tell me if …
Empathy. Imaginative play does so many wonderful things for children, but I hold a bias toward empathy. One day my kids will be grown ups, and more than any career achievement, I want them to hold and maintain meaningful relationships. To do that, they need kindness and empathy. Imagination is a necessary building block for …
This Is Why Your Kids Need More Imaginative Play Read More »
I was listening to a podcast on racial healing, when this idea hit home. Kindness is not niceness. Here’s my disclaimer. I’m white. My husband is Asian. My kids are biracial. In Thailand, their whiteness is their most salient feature. I’m pretty sure that won’t be the case next time we go to America, but …
I thought I’d write an article on what kindness is. In my effort, I drowned myself in research and articles about kindness. What is kindness? There are words that stood out to me throughout different sources: generous, helpful, loving, etc. I even surveyed my friends and acquaintances. The results were somewhat interesting (people consider “honesty” …